Steel-tower bracket.



Patented Aug. I4, I900. A. R. DEMPSTER &. W.D. RINEHART. STEELTOWER BRACKET.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1899. Renewed Feb. 8. 1900.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet QQVMVM m: nrmms Pans co, Pnmaumm WASHINGTON, D. c.

No. 655,693. Patented Aug. I4, I900.

A. n. .DEMPSTER & w. n. BINEl-IABT. STEEL TOWER BRACKET.

(Applicition filed Jan. 18,, 1899. Banana rebja, 1900.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

NITED TATES PATENT. OFFICE,

ALEXANDER R. DEMPSTER AND WILLIAM D. RINEI'IART, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNORS TO THE DEMPSTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

srncrrrcn'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,693, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed January 18, 189 9. Renewed February 8, 1900. $erial1lo. 4,560. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER R. DEMP- STER and WILLIAM 1). RINEHART, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Des Moines, in the county ofPolk and will be solid, strong, rigid, and convenient of' application and erection.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a tower, showing our improved construction. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a bracket employed in the corners of the tower under our improved construction. Fig. 3 is a plan of the corner-bracket. Fig. 4 is an exterior view, and Fig. 5 an interior view, of a clamp-plate employed to connect two brace-rods at the point of crossing. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the brace-rods. Fig. 7 is an inner face view of one corner of the tower. Fig. 8 is a detail of modified form of clamp-plate.

In the construction of the tower, as shown, the numerals 10 11 designate corner-posts, made of angle-iron and spliced in the ordinary way to any desired height. Horizontal braces or stays 12, one only of which is shown, are mounted between and extend from one to the other of the corner-posts. Cornerbrackets l3,alike in construction,are mounted on the corner-posts and support the ends of the horizontal stays 12. The corner-bracket 13 is formed in a single piece by casting and comprises an angle-plate 13, with its Wings at right angles to each other, and a supporting-plate 13*, located within the angle of the plate 13 and with its faces in oblique planes to the line of the angle. Bolt-holes 14 15 are formed in the end portions of the supportingplate 13 and brace-holes 16, 17, 18, and 19 are formed in the angle-plate 13, the holes 16 17 being located above and the holes 18 19 below the plane of the supporting plate. Brace-rods 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 are provided, and the end portions of said rods are bent at right angles to the body portions thereof and screw-threaded.

The corner-brackets are mounted within the angles of the corner-posts at the desired elevations and supported by inserting the lateral end portions of the bracerrods through the holes 16, 17, 18, and 19 and through corresponding holes in the cornenposts, nuts 28 being mounted on the screw-threaded portions of the rods to hold the same in place. The lateral portions of the brace-rods 22, 23, 25, and 27 also traverse holes in the downwardly-extending portions of the horizontal stays and bind the stays, brackets, and corner-posts together. The stays 12 are positioned with their end portions below the plates 13 of the corner-brackets and are connected to said plates by bolts 29, traversing the boltholes 14 15 and corresponding holes in the stays. By reason of the inclination of angle between the plates 13 and 13 of the cornerbrackets said brackets may be positioned in inclined corner-posts,with the plate 13 parallel with the post and the plate 13 horizontal.

The brace-rods cross each other midway of the corner-posts, and at the points of crossing we mount thereon a clamp 30. The clamp 30 comprises two circular plates alike in construction, one of which is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 and designated by the numeral 31. Each of the clamp-plates is formed with a diametrical groove 32 in its inner face arranged, shaped, and of such size as to receive and partially embrace one of the brace-rods, and on either side of the groove and approximately parallel therewith there are formed segment-slots 33 34-. When the plates are mounted face to face on opposite sides of the crossing of the brace-rods, as in Fig. l, the grooves therein separately embrace separate rods, and bolts 35 36, mounted in the slots 33 34:, clamp the plates rigidly upon the rods and form an unyielding connection therefor. By reason of the segment-slots in the clampplates the clamp will accommodate and may be adjusted with the slots and grooves in different relative positions to receive brace-rods crossing each other at angles differing in degree from the one shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 we illustrate a form of clampplate designed to mate another of like construction and be secured thereto by bolts, in

which are formed two diametrical grooves 32 32 crossing each other at angles, the slots 33 34: being formed between the diverging portions of the grooves. In this instance also the slots 33 34* in the plate 31 are of segment form and are on the arc of a circle concentric with the center of the plate. By the use of two of the plates 31 two rods may be connected at the crossing thereof at any angle whatever.

We claim as our invention- 1. The tower comprising the corner-posts, the corner-brackets mounted in said posts and formed with an angle-plate and a supporting-plate integral therewith, the horizontalstays bolted to the supporting-plates of the corner-brackets, the brace-rods mounted in the stays, brackets and cornerposts, the brace rods mounted in the brackets and cornerposts, and the clamps connecting the bracerods.

2. The corner-bracket comprising the angle iron or plate the supporting-plate within the angle and intermediate of the ends of the angle-plate and having its face planes at oblique angles to the line of the supporting-plate, and means for mounting said bracket in a post.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a corner-bracket formed of a single piece of cast metal and comprising an angle-plate 13 and a plane supporting-plate 13 arranged within the angle of the angle-plate and intermediate of the ends thereof and provided with transverse apertures 14,, 15, the face planes of the supporting-plate being at oblique angles to the angle-plate.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a corner-bracket comprising the angle-plate plate.

13 and the plane supporting-plate 1-3 inte gral therewith and arranged within the angle of the angle-plate and intermediate of the ends thereof, both plates being apertured to receive bolts or other means of fastening and the angle of the angle-plate being sharp and square, and the face planes of the s'upport ing-plate being at oblique angles to the angle- 5. In a tower construction, the brace-rods crossing each other, the clamp-plates formed with interior diametrically-positioned grooves and segment-slots on either side of the grooves, which clamp-plates are mounted on opposite sides of the crossed rods with their grooves partially embracing the rods, and bolts traversing the segment-slots and clamping the plates together.

6. As an improved article of manufacture, a clampplate formed with a diametrical groove in one face and segment-slots on opposite sides of the groove, the arc of the segment slots being concentric with the center of the plate.

7. As an improved article of manufacture, a clamp-plate formed with two crossing diametrical grooves in one face and segmentslots between the divergent portions of the grooves.

8. The combination of the plates formed with crossing diametrical grooves in their adjacent faces and segment-slots between the divergent portions of the grooves, and bolts traversing the segment-slots.

ALEXANDER R. DEMPSTER. WILLIAM D. RINEHART.

Witnesses:

S. 0. SWEET, F. E. SHANE. 

